During Wednesday’s Carolina Panthers training camp in Charlotte, tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders demonstrated his progress in a competitive red zone drill. In the play, quarterback Bryce Young found Sanders open near the goal line after he broke away from cornerback Jaycee Horn. Sanders caught the pass and scored, while Horn argued for a penalty flag, believing there had been a push-off. Sanders responded by spinning the ball on the ground in front of the defense.
This moment highlighted how much Sanders has developed since his rookie season. The second-year tight end from Texas is working with the first team again this year as teammate Tommy Tremble continues to recover from injury.
Reflecting on his growth, Sanders said: “Oh, definitely last year I got thrown into the fire early with Tommy and Ian (Thomas) being down last year, so I think that helped me mature being a rookie.” He added: “And then playing—I think tight end is the second hardest position after the quarterback—so being thrown into the fire like that, it can only make me better, mature me. This year I’m just trying to be that voice where Tommy’s not there. He still has his voice, the vet in the room, but I’m trying to take my leadership role in the room as well.”
Sanders credited his experience for helping him build confidence and leadership within the team. “I think I’ve grown a lot just mentally, calming down, being more confident, like that goes into being more confident with myself,” he said. “Knowing what I can do to help the younger guys. In our room, we all learn off each other, so that’s a great thing I like about our room, we all learn from each other.
“The work I’ve put in over the offseason is definitely showing, so I’ve definitely got more confidence in myself.”
Head coach Dave Canales noted Sanders’ recent performances at practice: “JT Sanders had a nice day today,” Canales said Monday. “The last couple of days didn’t get a lot of targets, but he’s winning, he looks fast, he looks explosive.”
Sanders attributed part of his improvement to changes off the field as well. After playing at over 250 pounds during his rookie season, he has reduced his weight to 238 pounds through meal preparation by a chef he met who also works at FedEx. According to Sanders: “She works at FedEx too,” he explained. “I was shipping my helmets and stuff back for the offseason, and she was like, ‘Oh, you play for the Panthers.’ I’m like, yeah, I introduced myself. She’s like, ‘Oh, I’m a chef.’ I said ‘When I get back I’m going to tap in with you.’ Tapped in with her; we’ve been locked in since.” He added: “She’s been cooking me meals almost every day… helped me lose weight… Thinking clear; not eating that damn fast food all the time…”
Sanders believes these changes have made him faster and allowed him to move better on routes during practice sessions.
